[Today’s Kpop] JB opens YouTube channel

  GOT7’s JB launched his own YouTube channel late Wednesday, drawing over 343,000 subscribers in 12 hours. 　 The name of the channel is “Jae Beom Lim,” the singer’s real name. 　 In the initial 40-second snippet, titled “THX. My Best Friends!” he said he had no specific plans for the platform but would communicate with his fans and put out good content. He asked them to keep their expectations high. 　 “I hope you love GOT7 a lot as well as JB,&rdq

Feb. 4, 2021

K-pop girl group LOONA breaks into Billboard's Pop Airplay chart

LOONA has made its first entry on the Billboard's Pop Airplay chart, becoming the first K-pop girl group to rank on the radio chart since BLACKPINK. LOONA's all-English song "Star" ranked No. 40 on the Billboard's Pop Airplay chart, set to be updated on Saturday (US time), according to the US music publication. The chart reflects weekly data from some 160 US radio stations. The Billboard cited Bill Schulz, a program director at radio station KCLA in Reno, Nevada, who was quoted as sa

Feb. 4, 2021

‘Minari’ nominated for best foreign-language film at Golden Globes

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Wednesday nominated “Minari” to compete in the Golden Globes’ best foreign-language film category. “Minari,” directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, depicts the story of a family of four first-generation immigrants from South Korea. In the movie, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Ye-ri) move to rural Arkansas with their two kids to pursue their own version of the American dream. Chung’s film will compete wit

Feb. 4, 2021

Historical comedy series 'Mr. Queen' on roll despite controversy

The period comedy series "Mr. Queen" on tvN has become the biggest cable TV hit over the past year despite criticism over its Chinese original and some historically controversial scenes. The series' 16th episode that aired Sunday recorded 14.9 percent in viewership, according to data by Nielson Korea. It is the fifth-highest rated tvN's drama series of all time, following 21.7 percent by the romantic comedy "Crash Landing On You" (2019), 20.5 percent by the fantasy romance

Feb. 4, 2021

HyunA's new song 'I'm Not Cool' goes viral with 'Crayon Shin-chan' meme

A hilarious meme contrasting K-pop soloist HyunA's choreography for her new song "I'm Not Cool" with a scene from the Japanese animation "Crayon Shin-chan" has become the latest meme to hit Korea. The singer, known for her bold and powerful performances, last week released a new album, "I'm Not Cool," with a namesake title track. She worked on the song with her boyfriend and singer Dawn, as well as Psy, the "Gangnam Style" star who heads her agency P Nati

Feb. 4, 2021

BLACKPINK's livestream concert most watched in US: agency

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's first livestream concert held over the weekend was the most watched in the United States, the act's agency said Thursday. Subscribers based in the US accounted for 19.2 percent of all subscribers for the show, followed by those watching from Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Canada and Britain, according to YG Entertainment. BLACKPINK on Sunday held a 90-minute livestream concert in collaboration with You

Feb. 4, 2021

K-pop tweets hit 6.7 billion in 2020

K-pop related tweets remained in full force last year, reaching a new record of 6.7 billion, Twitter Inc. said Thursday. The figure represents a jump of 600 million from 6.1 billion K-pop tweets in 2019. The social media company said Indonesia ranked as the top market tweeting about K-pop by volume, followed by Thailand and South Korea. In terms of unique users tweeting about K-pop, Japan topped the list, followed by the United States and Indonesia. Global superstar BTS was the most mentione

Feb. 4, 2021

Immigration film 'Minari' nominated for best foreign language film at Golden Globes

The immigrant film "Minari" on Wednesday was nominated for best foreign language film at this year's Golden Globe Awards.    According to the full list of nominees for the 2021 Golden Globe Awards slated for Feb. 28 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung's semi-autobiographical film will compete for best motion picture in foreign language with "Another Round" from Denmark, "La Llorona" from Guatemala,

Feb. 3, 2021

[Today's Kpop] Seventeen ready to rock Japan again

Seventeen confirmed that it is putting out new music in Japan in April. 　 The boy band is releasing its third single album in Japan, titled “Hitorijyanai,” which translates as “You are not alone.” The title track of the same name conveys the band’s support for young people who are living through a challenging time as well as the promise to meet again with their official fandom, Carat. 　 The album includes two more songs -- “Run To You” from the group&r

Feb. 3, 2021

KBS denies ‘Song to the Moon’ airing on President Moon’s birthday was intentional

Terrestrial broadcaster KBS has denied claims that it intentionally aired the aria “Song to the Moon” during one of its shows on President Moon Jae-in’s birthday to gain approval from the nation’s leader. On Tuesday, KBS’ music program “Open Concert” released an official statement in response to a controversy over soprano Kang Hye-jung’s performance of the “Song to the Moon” during the program which aired on Jan. 24. That date also h

Feb. 3, 2021

Boy band Seventeen to drop new single in Japan in April

K-pop boy band Seventeen will be releasing its third single album in Japan in April, the band's management said Wednesday. The new album, titled "Hitorijianai" in Japanese, meaning "you're not alone," will be released on April 21, according to Pledis Entertainment. It comes a year after the act dropped its second Japanese single "Fallin' Flower," also in April last year. Pledis explained that the upcoming album carries three songs, including the namesake new Japan

Feb. 3, 2021

4 dance works by Matthew Bourne to be streamed in March

The LG Arts Center will stream four never-before-seen works in Korea by celebrated choreographer Matthew Bourne. The four pieces created by Bourne -- “The Red Shoes,” “The Car Man,” “Cinderella” and “Romeo and Juliet” -- will be streamed in March, the arts center announced Tuesday. Bourne’s dance company New Adventures was to perform “The Red Shoes” in Korea last year at the LG Arts Center, but was later canceled due to the CO

Feb. 3, 2021

‘Space Sweepers’ signals first blockbuster K-sci-fi flick

Anticipation for Friday’s worldwide Netflix release of the first Korean sci-fi blockbuster movie set in space, “Space Sweepers,” could be felt by the cast members and director during an online press conference and fan meeting held Tuesday. Set in 2092, “Space Sweepers” from director Jo Sung-hee revolves around a space cleanup crew trying to sell a weapon of mass destruction: humanoid Dorothy. “Around 10 years ago, a friend of mine told me about the trash i

Feb. 3, 2021

[Today's Kpop] Rain teams up with Jo Sumi

Rain teams up with Jo Sumi  Rain and celebrated soprano Jo Sumi will sing the theme song for “Universe,” NCSoft’s newly launched K-pop platform, according to the game developer. 　 The company’s content arm, Klap, rolled out the mobile entertainment application in 134 countries in January so that fans of K-pop around the world could enjoy communication with their favorite musicians -- including Kang Daniel, Monsta X, IZ*ONE, The Boyz and Ateez. 　 IZ*ONE, a 12-piec

Feb. 2, 2021

Spotify begins service in Korea without IU’s songs

The world’s largest music streaming platform Spotify on Tuesday announced the official launch of its service in Korea. “We’re looking forward to working even closer with the entire Korean music industry to uncover more artists and connect them with fans in Korea and the world, while also continuously working on providing an ever-improving, unrivaled listening experience to Korean listeners,” Alex Norstrom, Spotify’s chief freemium business officer, said in a state

Feb. 2, 2021

Pentagon's Hui to begin alternative military service this month

Hui, a member of K-pop boy band Pentagon, will start his alternative military service later this month, his management agency said Tuesday. The 28-year-old group leader and producer will enter a boot camp on Feb. 18 for four weeks of basic military training and then serve as a social worker, according to CUBE Entertainment. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military, but those judged unfit for active-duty service are allowed to serve an alternative one. The agency

Feb. 2, 2021

MBC, Wavve’s ‘Love Scene Number’ talks of love, marriage and sex

Omnibus drama “Love Scene Number,” spotlights themes of love, marriage and sex, with an emphasis on showcasing a woman’s point of view. The drama, made by streaming platform Wavve and terrestrial broadcaster MBC in a collaborative effort, kicked off Monday on both platforms. Wavve, the streaming platform created by three terrestrial broadcasters -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- and SK Telecom released all four episodes of “Love Scene Number” on Monday morning as soon as t

Feb. 2, 2021

BTS’ ‘Dynamite’ outfits sell for $162,500 at charity auction

The outfits that the members of BTS wore in the music video for their chart-topping single “Dynamite” sold for $162,500 at a charity auction in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday. The septet’s pastel colored ensembles were purchased by Japanese art collector Yusaku Maezawa and YouTuber Hikakin. The outfits included the colorful T-shirts, hats, shirts, pants, shorts and sneakers that BTS wear during the beginning of the music video and the dance sequence at the end. The

Feb. 2, 2021

Musicals return to stage as social distancing measures are eased

The local culture scene is gearing up for a rebound, after the government announced eased social distancing rules, with a middle-seat vacancy restriction relaxed at performing art venues and cinemas. On Sunday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism informed local production companies and cinemas that two seats must be left vacant between each party or a seat should be left empty between each audience member under the Level 2.5 social distancing rules. The government initially required t

Feb. 1, 2021

Blackpink returns to core artistry in first virtual concert

Blackpink wrapped up its virtual concert “The Show” to much fanfare in Seoul on Sunday. The group’s first pay-per-view livestreamed show, which ran for about 90 minutes on YouTube, featured the four bandmates performing a total of 19 songs, including their biggest hits “How You Like That,” “Don’t Know What to Do,” “Love Sick Girls,” “Whistle” and “Boombayah.” Songs from the group’s latest “The Alb

Feb. 1, 2021